Peter Madsen’s defence lawyer argued yesterday that six months would be a fair sentence when the verdict is announced at 13:00 on Wednesday in the trial of the submariner accused of murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall on August 10.

Six months vs a life in prison
Six months, concluded Betina Hald Engmark, would be a fair penalty for cutting up Wall’s body into six pieces and then weighing them down in bags to ensure they would never be found – a minor charge Madsen has happily owned up to, explaining he partly did it in a panic, and partly to spare Wall’s parents the misery of finding out their daughter was killed by exhaust fumes.

In her final address to the court, Engmark criticised the prosecutor for failing to prove her client is guilty of premeditated murder.

Six months would presumably mean Madsen can walk free, as he has been in custody for nearly three-quarters of a year.

The prosecutor, Jakob Buch-Jepsen, unsurprisingly called for a life sentence, arguing that Madsen has already given three explanations of how Wall died – making him a highly uncredible witness.

Madsen tells Wall’s parents he’s sorry, but no compensation
Wall’s parents were in court, and looking directly into their eyes, Madsen told them “I’m really sorry for what has happened.”

Whether he was also apologising for rejecting the Walls’ claim for 150,000 kroner in compensation, which his lawyer made very clear in her summing up, is unclear.

What is clear is that psychologists and doctors concur that Madsen has psychopathic traits and unusual sexual tastes, according to the second part of his mental evaluation, which was read out in court yesterday.

“Peter Madsen poses such a significant and immediate danger to other people’s life, body, health or freedom that the use of custody may be required to prevent this danger,” added the country’s leading medical authority, Retslægerådet.